2018 Jan 31-Feb 5,🚙 Trip to Mobile, Saraland, Alabama and Carnival Fantasy Western Caribbean Cruise Cozumel, Mexico ( 6 days)

Day January 1 31,

We traveled along Highway 43 passing through Russellville, Spruce Pine, Phil Campbell, Bear Creek, Brilliant, Winfield, Fayette, Tuscaloosa, Fosters, Ralph, Knoxville, Eutaw, Forkland, Demopolis, Providence, Linden, Dixons Mills, Thomasville, Fulton, Grover Hill, Jackson, Macintosh, Movico, Axis onto I-65 s to I-10 W to hwy 90, hwy 59, 188, 193 to Dauphin Island.

We stopped in Forkland to take pictures of Jim Bird's Hay Bale Art and Tin Man.  

Tin Man 

At Dolphin Island, we walked along the boardwalk taking pictures:

Living Marsh & Boardwalk 

Marine Debris, a Silent Killer 

Marine Debris Timeline

Butterflies of Dauphin Island

Mr. Sand Part I, II, III  

A Real Partnership 

Energy from the Sands of Time 

Where am I? 

Alabama Coastal Connection 

Dune plants survive in a harsh environment

Wetland birds 

The tidal Marshes of Alabama

Barrier Islands shaped by wind & Waters

Invertebrate Trail

Research on Marsh Restoration at Dauphin Island’s Sea Lab

Whether the Weather

The Living Marsh

Dauphin Island 

Rays at Dauphin Island 

We went to the Fort at Dauphin Island, but it was closed, and so was Sea Lab.

We drove to the Audubon Sanctuary Nature Interpretive trail, looking for the bird. We could hear them but did not see any. 

We did see several turtles. 

It was getting late, and we wanted to reach Saraland before dark. 

We arrived at Comfort Inn 1200 SHELTON BEACH RD SARALAND, AL, checked into our room and walked downstairs to eat dinner at Winzell's. I ordered a fried shrimp basket with Coleslaw, water, and lemon to drink.

My friend ordered the shrimp po'boy, which was served with lettuce, tomatoes, purple onion, and pickles. Their signature bread was also served with French fries. 

It had been a long day, so we retired to our room for the night.

The Inn where we stayed was being remodeled. 

Shrimp Poboy

Fried shrimp basket with Coleslaw

Day 2: Thursday, February 1

We ate a continental breakfast at the Inn, packed our bags, and drove to the Port of Mobile.

We were early to board Carnival Fantasy Cruise Line, so we had to wait in line with several other cars. 

We finally arrived at the parking deck, and each bag was checked and parked on deck two. We unloaded our carry-on bags, walked to the elevators, and had to pay for parking.

We went through security, and because of my total knee replacement, the alarm went off, and I had to be worn down.

We took our bags to our room on level four.

We went up the elevator to the patio pool area. Behind it were the buffet, pizza, and Guy's Burgers areas.

We both ordered Guy's burger and Fries.

When we finished eating, we walked around the ship, checking it out. That night, we attended a Hasbro Game Show and were in bed by 9 p.m.

Carnival Fantasy 

Guys, Burger, and Fries

Day 3: Friday 2, Fun Day at Sea

We were up early to see the Susunrise

We both ordered a made-to-order omelet and got a couple of pastries and French toast.

For lunch, we both ordered a taco salad with Key Lime pie.

That afternoon, we went to a show about what we may see on the Island Adventures.

They gave away several prizes, but we did not win.

We are going to a formal dinner so we are dressed. 

I ordered baked fish with rice, & broccoli. 

We both bought tickets for tomorrow's adventures. 

That night, we watched a show about Soul Train with impersonators of Temptations and Supremes.

Fresh Rolls for dinner

Grilled fish with rice and broccoli 

Chocolate cake with ice cream 

Day 4: Saturday, February 3, 

Watched tsunriseise and ate breakfast from the buffet.

Spent the day at Chankanaab National Park in Cozumel.

Landed Cozumel and went ashore around 9 A.M. 

I stopped at the World Coral Exhibit to take a few pictures.

Cozumel's Coral Reef

Reef Systems

Coral & Sponges of Cozumel

Ecosystems Importance

Carnival Corp & Commitment to our Environment

Commercial Threat to Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs

Life of Coral Reefs

We met up with our tour guide (Adolf) and were divided into three groups. 

Loaded into three different vans and was shuttled to Chankanaab National Park.

Several people in the group were going snorkeling.

We watched people swimming with the dolphins at Dolphin Discovery

We walked through the Maya replica ruins.

We walked through the Botanical Gardens at Chankanaab Park, where we saw flowers, birds, lizards, and a coral reef. 

We joined the group for lunch and to watch the Sea Lion Show.

 Tequila tasting at 12:50 P.M.

We were shuttled back to the beach at 1:30 P.M. and loaded back onto the ship.

Once again, we had to go through security, and once again, my knee set the alarm off, and I had to be worn down again.

That night, our host dressed up like Richard Simmons and did an 89’s trivia show.

For dinner, we both ordered a hot chocolate cake with French sauce. 

My friend ordered a taco, and I ordered grilled salmon with carrots and broccoli served with potatoes.

Sea Lion Show.

Coral Reef

Swimming with Dolphins

Day 5: Sunday, February 4, 

Fun day at Sea 

We watched the sunrise &  on the track, we met a woman from Florida.

We ate brunch in the dining room.

We both ordered the huevos Rancho, delicious chicken quesadillas topped with fried eggs,

& Manchebo cheese and orange juice.

huevos Rancho

Sunrise on the Gulf of Mexico 

I wrote in my journal while my friend finished reading her book. 

For dinner, we both ordered green beans, potatoes, and steak. We ordered Cheesecake with strawberries for dessert, and I wanted to try the caramel popcorn cream custard. 

Day 6: Monday, February 5, 

We both enjoyed breakfast before embarking on the ship at 9 A.M.

We traveled through Mobile, stopping at Dollar General for Diet Coke and peanut butter crackers.

I had heartburn, and this helped settle my tummy.

We filled up with gas and stopped at Guthries in Haleyville for dinner.

We both ordered chicken fingers with Coleslaw.

Chicken Fingers and Coleslaw 

We arrived at my friend's house around 4 P.M.

Hubby came to pick me up.

We stopped at Lawler's to pick up a barbecue plate for dinner.

Carnival Fantasy Stateroom R18 DECK R MUSTER STATION A

Hotel Comfort Inn and Suite 1200 SHELTON BEACH RD SARALAND, AL  

World Coral Exhibit at Cozumel Mexico 2018

World Coral Exhibit 

Coral and Sponges of Cozumel

Brain Coral 

Brain Coral is a common name given to several genera of coral. These corals are characterized by the spheroid shape of their colonies and by the grooves and channels on their surface, which resemble the folds on the surface of the human brain. Brain coral is in the taxonomic family Faviidae, but not every genus is brain-shaped. 

Brain corals are found in warm-water coral reefs in all the world's oceans. They are in a class called "sea flowers," known as Anthozoa or Phylum Cnidaria. 

The lifespan of the largest brain corals is 200 years. 

WHIP CORAL (Eptogorgia Virgulata)

Whip coral has slender, whip-like branches that vary in color from deep purple to yellowish-tan. The long branches are covered in coral polyps, like tiny white dots against the coral's skeleton. 

Whip Coral can grow about three feet tall on rocks, reefs, pilings, and other hard surfaces. 

Whip corals are suspension feeders. Each polyp covering the coral's skeleton has eight feathery, saw-toothed tentacles that periodically emerge to sweep plankton and tiny particles into the coral's body.

STAR CORAL(Galaxea fascicularis)

Star coral is a hard coral species with a stone-like calcium skeleton. Small, oval stubs rise from the yellowish-tan central core, each containing a delicate star-shaped polyp. Star Coral is commonly found throughout the Caribbean and the West Indies and usually grows to about 12 inches in height.

ELKHORN CORAL

Elkhorn Coral is a large, branching shallow water coral with thick, sturdy antler-like branches. Colonies are fast-growing: branches increased by 2-4 inches (5-10cm) per year, with colonies reaching their maximum size in approximately 10 to 12 years.  

YELLOW TUBE SPONGES (Aplysina Fistularia)

The yellow tube sponge displays one of the many different body forms typical of sponges. Sponges, considered the most primitive of the multi-cellular animals, are represented in the fossil record of the Cambrian Period, at least 600 million years ago. The interior body cavities 

Coral Reefs

Coral Reefs are the most biologically diverse marine ecosystem, rivaled only by tropical rainforests on land. Corals have grown over geologic time and have existed for nearly 200 million years. They reached their current level of diversity 50 million years ago. 

The delicately balanced marine environment of the coral reefs relies on the interaction of hard and soft corals, sponges, anemones, snails, rays, crabs, lobsters, turtles, dolphins, and other sea life.

A coral reef comprises thin plates or layers of calcium carbonate secreted over thousands of years by billions of tiny soft-bodied animals called coral polyps. It takes years for some corals to grow an inch, ranging in size from a pinhead to a foot in length. Each polyp secretes a calcareous exoskeleton and lives in a symbiotic relationship with a host alga, zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its color.

Zooxanthellae take in carbon dioxide, process it through photosynthesis, and then give off oxygen as a by-product used by the host polyp. A million polyps are grown on top of the limestone remains of former colonies to create the massive reefs, yet these tiny animals form the only natural formation.

Corals are divided into two types, and both are stationary on the ocean floor. Hard corals such as the brain, star, staghorn, elkhorn, and pillar corals have rigid exoskeletons, or Corallites, that protect their soft, delicate bodies. 

Gorgonians, or soft corals like sea fans, sea whips, and sea rods, sway with the currents and lack an exoskeleton. 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

World Coral Exhibit 

The Cozumel Reef System 

The Great Maya Barrier Reef, also known as the Mesoamerican Reef, extends from the Northern Yucatan to Honduras and is actually the second-largest barrier reef system in the world. The 32-km (20-mile) long reef system in Cozumel is located just off the southern Leeward coast. Over the years, the Yucatan Current has carved an extensive labyrinth unparalleled by any other reef in the Caribbean. 

In 1961, the famous oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau came to Cozumel with his crew on the Calypso to film a documentary. Since the film's first airing, Cozumel has consistently been on top of many diving lists as a diver's destination.

Through a guided tour of Cozumel's rich underwater topography, it is standard to see vast coral heads, brilliant sponges, hundreds of tropical fish, rich ecosystems, and steep walls that sink into the abyss. Tunnels and caves twist through the reef, providing a rich environment for many species.

Most of the diving sites in Cozumel are located within the Cozumel Reefs National Marine Park, a protected underwater environment covering 29,000 + acres. A voluntary $2.00 US donation/fee from divers was implemented to fund the conservation.

Threats to Coral Reefs

Coral reefs are one of our threatened marine ecosystems

Scientists estimate that unless we take immediate action, we could lose up to 70 percent of the world's coral reefs by 2050.

Nature's Threats: Storms and Predators

Reefs are frequently disturbed by natural events. Hurricanes and tropical storms can reduce reefs to rubble. Black band disease spreads over colonies, progressively killing the polyps and often affecting corals. In the Indo-Pacific, the Crown-of-thorns Starfish feeds voraciously on coral and, if present in large numbers, can reduce a reef to an amass of dead coral skeletons in just a few weeks. 

Greenhouse Threats

Global climate change, or the enhanced greenhouse effect, may cause increases in sea temperature and sea level and changes in the oceans' current patterns, which could damage coral reefs. Corals are susceptible to changes in temperature. Seawater that becomes too warm causes coral to turn white or bleach, a reaction that occurs if coral polyps are stressed. Often, they recover, but they are also known to die. 

If the oceans warm due to global climate change, corals may have increasing difficulty recovering from bleaching episodes.

Cozumel Coral Reef

Although there are more than 30 chartered reefs and countless sites to choose from, Cozumel's coral reefs can be divided into 3 types. 

On vertical walls like Palancar Reef and Santa Rosa, with depths from 40 to 130 feet, you'll find gorgonian and plate coral, enormous colorful sponges, and a splendid assortment of reef and pelagic species. Jacques Cousteau made the Palancar Reef famous, making Cozumel one of the most known diving spots in the world. 

Pinnacles like Punta Sur and Palancar Horseshoe, with depths from 40-70 feet, are maze-like structures with tall, statuesque pinnacles and wide coral shelves. Here, you can swim through tunnels, in and out of caves, and between dramatic towering coral. 

For less experienced divers or snorkelers, coral gardens make exciting first experiences. These 20-40 foot deep coral patches don't have the lushness of sponge and coral life found further from shore. However, they are one of the best places to dive or snorkel and experience the rich abundance of fish life that flourishes in these lush waters. The Tormentors Reef has been known to have explosives of colorful sponges and gorgonians. 

Ecosystem Importance

Vast numbers of species inhabit coral reefs, making them second only to rainforests in species riches. This extensive diversity results from all of its inhabitants carefully sharing the reef. More fish species are found on reefs than anywhere else in the sea, ranging from large sharks to tiny gobies. It is believed that about 90% of all species are small invertebrates yet to be discovered. These, like many of the tiny mollusks and crustaceans that are already known, will never be seen by divers and snorkelers as they are animals that live in crackers and crevices. They are equivalent to the insects of tropical rainforests. Southeast Asia has the most incredible diversity of reef plants and animals, ranging from the Philippines to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Here, a single reef may have over 3,000 different types of plants and animals. Diversity is lower in the Caribbean as a result of the geological history of this region, but up to a thousand species may still inhabit the rich reefs. 

Coral reefs are a vital part of an ecosystem. They represent the skeletons of algae and corals solidified into calcium carbonate. Depending on their relationship to the shore, there are several different types of reefs, including an apron, fringing, table, and barrier. Regarding the ecosystem, coral reefs support considerable sea life by recycling nutrients in nutrient-low parts of the ocean, providing life and health for the surrounding sea life, and feeding off it to produce new reef formations. These also represent home to various tropical fish and other sea organisms, such as lobsters and sea turtles. Pollution and the live food fish trade have developed into serious threats to the delicate ecosystem balance that the coral reef inhabits. For example, if a forest is destroyed during coastal construction, the run-off of nutrients can saturate the waters and suffocate organisms adapting to a low-nutrient environment. Similarly, excessive fishing, most notably using cyanide, destroys the structure of the reef and the organisms it depends on to sustain itself. 

Commerce's Threat to Coral Reefs

Shells on Shelves

Corals and shells are collected worldwide to sell as souvenirs or to make jewelry and other handicrafts. 

Several kinds of mollusks are now rare on reefs because of over-collecting. In many countries, coral is also found on the reef and used to build houses and make roads or is burnt to produce lime. Where this happens, reefs are often stripped bare. Sustainable management of reefs will mean regulation of these industries and better enforcement of existing legislation to ensure that the resources and the people who depend on them have a long-term future.

A Paradise for Tourists

Millions of tourists visit coral reefs each year, and in many countries, reef-related tourism is now the primary source of foreign exchange. However, corals are easily broken by trampling when people walk out to the reef; snorkelers and divers may kill polyps simply by touching coral colonies, and anchors and ships grounding can destroy large reef areas.

Though tourism can damage reefs, it can play a significant role in saving them if carefully managed. The tourism industry can promote and assist in developing marine parks, mooring buoy projects to prevent anchor damage, public awareness campaigns, and local initiatives to promote sustainable coastal management.

Life of Coral Reefs

Coral reefs depend upon mangroves and seagrass for survival. Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees with submerged roots that are a nursery and breeding ground for birds and most of the marine life that migrates to the reef. Mangroves trap and produce nutrients for food and habitat, stabilize the shoreline and filter pollutants from the land base. Seagrasses flower marine plants that are an essential part of the food web. They provide food and habitat for turtles, manatees, fish, filter-feeding organisms, and foraging sea life, such as sea urchins and sea cumbers. Seagrass is a nursery for pink shrimp, lobster, snapper, and other sea life. 

They filter the water of sediments, release oxygen, and stabilize the base.

As many as 250 different species of fish can be seen in Cozumel's waters; one of the most spectacular is the Queen Angelfish, which possesses bright blue-and-yellow markings and a distinctive blue "crown" on the top of the head. The Splendid Toadfish is found only in Cozumel. Making its home in the holes along the reef, this fish grows from 12 to 16 inches in length.

Besides the Splendid Toadfish, some of the most beautiful and colorful tropical fish can be found in the warm water of Cozumel.

Divers will likely see grouper, barracudas, turtles, butterflyfish, parrotfish, and stingrays, as well as angelfish, moray eels, nurse sharks, octopuses, snakes, crabs, and giant lobsters.

Coral reefs are in tropical oceans, typically between the Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn. However, there are exceptions, such as the Florida Keys. The largest coral reef is the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. 

The second-largest barrier coral reef is off the coast of Belize in Central America. Other reefs are found in Hawaii, the Red Sea, and other areas in tropical oceans. Coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Fiji's Barrier Reef, occupy less than one-quarter of one percent of the Earth's marine environment yet are home to more than a quarter of all known fish species.

Carnival CoEarth'son & Pic Commitment to Our Environment

Carnival understands that our future depends mainly on the health of the world's oceans. The line aggressively seeks both high- and low-tech solutions to manage its fleet's environmental impact and preserve natural resources. Below are a few ways Carnival manages and preserves this impact. 

An extensive waste-management plan for collecting, storing, processing, and disposing all waste generated aboard Carnival vessels meets or exceeds international and domestic laws and regulations. Carnival ships are regulated by various international, national, state, and local laws, regulations, and treaties in force in the ship's jurisdictions. 

Carnival has received certification for its ISO14001 Environmental Management System. The Requirement for Standardization is an internationally recognized standards organization that promotes developing and implementing international standards, including those for environmental management issues. 

Solid waste is processed and incinerated on board whenever possible. 

Carnival educates and encourages its guests to participate in its recycling program. Food, glass, aluminum, and plastics are collected in separate bins in public areas, open decks, steward stations, galley and crew areas, room service pantries, and bar pantries. 

Cooking oil and graces are stored in exceptional holding thanks after use and used onboard as an alternate fuel source on all Carnival ships. 

Additionally, Carnival lines donate various items, such as mattresses, televisions, blankets, and computers that can no longer be used aboard the ships but are still in usable condition, to local organizations in both home ports and ports of call.

Carnival has also formed an alliance with the International SeaKeepers Society and has installed a scientific data-gathering device on the Carnival Trump and Carnival Spirit to monitor ocean water quality. The device tracts a wide range of data, which is transmitted via satellite to various environmental groups, governmental agencies, and universities to aid in assessing ocean pollution and researching global climate changes and cyclic weather patterns.